Cambridge International Examinations

Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level

CHEMISTRY 9701/31

Paper 3 Advanced Practical Skills 1 October/November 2015

CONFIDENTIAL INSTRUCTIONS
*3211025593*

Great care should be taken to ensure that any confidential information given does not reach the
candidates either directly or indirectly.

The Supervisors attention is drawn to the form on page 7 which must be completed and returned with
the scripts.

If you have any problems or queries regarding these Instructions, please contact CIE
by e-mail: info@cie.org.uk,
by phone: +44 1223 553554,
by fax +44 1223 553558,
stating the Centre number, the nature of the query and the syllabus number quoted above.

This document consists of 8 printed pages.

IB15 11_9701_31CI/FP
UCLES 2015 [Turn over
 2

Safety

Supervisors are advised to remind candidates that all substances in the examination should be treated
with caution.
Only those tests described in the question paper should be attempted. Please also see under Apparatus
on the use of pipette fillers, safety goggles and plastic gloves.
In accordance with COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations, operative in the
UK, a hazard appraisal of the examination has been carried out.
Attention is drawn in particular, to certain materials used in the examination. The following codes are
used where relevant.
C corrosive substance F highly flammable substance
H harmful or irritating substance O oxidising substance
T toxic substance N dangerous for the environment
The attention of Supervisors is drawn to any local regulations relating to safety and first-aid.
Hazard Data Sheets, relating to materials used in this examination, should be available from your
chemical supplier.

Before the Examination

1 Access to the question paper is NOT permitted in advance of the examination.

2 Preparation of materials
Where quantities are specified for each candidate, they are sufficient for the experiments described
in the question paper to be completed.
In preparing materials, the bulk quantity for each substance should be increased by 25%
as spare material should be available to cover accidental loss. More material may be supplied if
requested by candidates, without penalty.
All solutions should be bulked and mixed thoroughly before use to ensure uniformity.
Every effort should be made to keep the concentrations accurate to within one part in two hundred
of those specified.
Supervisors are asked to carry out any confirmatory tests given on page 4 to ensure the
materials supplied are appropriate.
If the concentrations differ slightly from those specified, the Examiners will make the necessary
allowance. They should be informed of the exact concentrations.

3 Labelling of materials
Materials must be labelled as specified in these Instructions. Materials with an FA code number
should be so labelled without the identities being included on the label. Where appropriate the
identity of an FA coded chemical is given in the question paper itself.

4 Identity of materials
It should be noted that descriptions of solutions given in the question paper may not correspond
exactly with the specifications in these Instructions. The candidates must assume the
descriptions given in the question paper.

5 Size of group
In view of the difficulty of the preparation of large quantities of solution of uniform concentration,
it is recommended that the maximum number of candidates per group be 30 and that separate
supplies of solutions be prepared for each group.

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Apparatus

1 In addition to the fittings ordinarily contained in a chemical laboratory, the apparatus and materials
specified below will be necessary.

2 Pipette fillers (or equivalent safety devices), safety goggles and disposable gloves should be used
where necessary.

3 For each candidate

1 25cm3 pipette
1 50cm3 burette
1 burette stand and clamp
2 150 or 250cm3 conical flask
1 100cm3 beaker
1 funnel (for filling burette)
1 white tile
1 25cm3 measuring cylinder
1 50cm3 measuring cylinder
2 teat/dropping pipette
1 spatula
1 heat proof mat
1 Bunsen burner
1 glass rod
2 boiling tube*
8 test-tube*
1 test-tube holder
1 test-tube rack
1 wash bottle containing distilled water
1 marker pen or labels (suitable for labelling glassware)
1 stop watch or sight of clock reading to 1 second
paper towels

*Candidates are expected to rinse and re-use test-tubes and boiling tubes where possible.
Additional tubes should be available.

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 Chemicals Required

1 It is especially important that great care is taken that the confidential information given below does not reach the candidates either directly or
indirectly.

UCLES 2015
2 Particular requirements

per notes
hazard label identity
candidate (hazards given in this column are for the raw materials)
0.0180moldm3 potassium
FA 1 120cm3 Dissolve 2.84g of KMnO4 [N] [O] [H] in each dm3 of solution.
manganate(VII)
[H] FA 2 120cm3 1.00moldm3 sulfuric acid See preparation instructions on page 63 of the 2015 syllabus.

FA 3 120cm3 0.50moldm3 potassium iodide Dissolve 83.0g of KI in each dm3 of solution.

0.100moldm3
FA 4 250cm3 Dissolve 24.8g of Na2S2O3.5H2O in each dm3 of solution.
sodium thiosulfate
starch 5cm3 starch See preparation instructions on page 64 of the 2015 syllabus.
4

Dilute 17cm3 of concentrated (3537%; approximately 11moldm3)

FA 5 100cm3 0.20moldm3 hydrochloric acid
hydrochloric acid [C] to 1dm3.

9701/31/CI/O/N/15
Approximately 2g of freshly purchased Na2SO3 [H] in a stoppered
[H] FA 6 2g sodium sulfite
container.
Dissolve 55.5g of CaCl2 [H] in each dm3 of solution.
FA 7 10cm3 0.5moldm3 calcium chloride
(Hydrated calcium chloride may be used.)
FA 8 10cm3 0.5moldm3 magnesium sulfate Dissolve 123.2g of MgSO4.7H2O in each dm3 of solution.

FA 9 10cm3 0.2moldm3 aluminium sulfate Dissolve 126g of Al2(SO4)3.16H2O in each dm3 of solution.
Dissolve 55.4g of MnSO4.7H2O [H] [N] in each dm3 of solution.
FA 10 10cm3 0.2moldm3 manganese sulfate
(MnSO4.H2O [H][N] is suitable.)
hydrogen
[H] 10cm3 20 vol hydrogen peroxide Dilute 200cm3 of 100 vol H2O2 [H] to 1dm3.
peroxide
distilled water 100cm3 distilled water

NOTE: In the course of the examination, unpleasant fumes may be released. As a consequence, the laboratory should be well-ventilated.
 3 The reagents below should also be provided. Unless otherwise stated, each candidate should require no more than 10 cm3 of any of these
reagents. If necessary, they may be made available from a communal supply: however, the attention of the Invigilators should be drawn to the
fact that such an arrangement may lead to contamination of reagents and enhance the opportunity for malpractice between candidates.

UCLES 2015
per
hazard label notes
candidate

[H] dilute hydrochloric acid

[C] dilute nitric acid

[H] dilute sulfuric acid

aqueous ammonia 30cm3

[C] aqueous sodium hydroxide 30cm3 See identity details and preparation instructions
on page 63 and 64 of the 2015 syllabus.
[H] 0.1moldm3 barium chloride
5

or
0.1moldm3 barium nitrate

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0.05moldm3 silver nitrate

[H] limewater

acidified aqueous potassium

[H]
manganate(VII)

4 The following materials and apparatus should be available.

red and blue litmus papers, plain filter paper strips for use with acidified manganate(VII), aluminium foil for testing nitrate/nitrite, wooden splints
and the apparatus normally used in the Centre for use with limewater in testing for carbon dioxide

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 6

Responsibilities of the Supervisor during the Examination

1 The Supervisor, or other competent chemist, must, out of sight of the candidates, carry out the
experiments in Question 1 and Question 2 and complete tables of readings on a spare copy of
the question paper which should be labelled Supervisors Results.

This should be done for:

each session held and each laboratory used in that session, and each batch of solutions
supplied.

 .B. The question paper cover requests the candidate to fill in details of the examination
N
session and the laboratory used for the examination.

It is essential that each packet of scripts contains a copy of the applicable Supervisors
Results as the candidates work cannot be assessed accurately without such information.

2 The Supervisor must complete the Report Form on page 7 to show which candidates attended
each session. If all candidates took the examination in one session, please indicate this on the
Report Form. A copy of the Report Form must accompany each copy of the Supervisors Results
in order for the candidates work to be assessed accurately.

The Supervisor must give details on page 8 of any particular difficulties experienced by a candidate,
especially if the Examiner would be unable to discover this from the written answers.

After the Examination

Each envelope returned to Cambridge must contain the following items.

1 The scripts of those candidates specified on the bar code label provided.

2 A copy of the Supervisors Results relevant to the candidates in 1.

3 A copy of the Report Form, including details of any difficulties experienced by candidates (see
pages 7 and 8).

4 The Attendance Register.

5 A Seating Plan for each session/laboratory.

Failure to provide appropriate documentation in each envelope may cause candidates to be

penalised.

COLOUR BLINDNESS

With regard to colour blindness it is permissible to advise candidates who request assistance on colours
of, for example, precipitates and solutions (especially titration end-points). Please include with the
scripts a note of the candidate numbers of such candidates.

Experience suggests that candidates who are red/green colour-blind the most common form do
not generally have significant difficulty. Reporting such cases with the scripts removes the need for a
Special Consideration application.

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9701/31
REPORT FORM

This form must be completed and sent to the Examiner in the envelope with the scripts.

Centre number ..................................................... Name of Centre ......................................................

1 Supervisors Results

Please submit details of the readings obtained in Question 1 and Question 2 on a spare copy of
the question paper clearly marked Supervisors Results and showing the Centre number and
appropriate session/laboratory number.

2 The candidate numbers of candidates attending each session were:

First Session Second Session

3 The Supervisor is required to give details overleaf of any difficulties experienced by particular
candidates, giving names and candidate numbers. These should include reference to:

(a) any general difficulties encountered in making preparation;

(b) difficulties due to faulty apparatus or materials;

(c) accidents to apparatus or materials;

(d) assistance with respect to colour blindness.

Other cases of hardship, e.g. illness, temporary disability, should be reported direct to CIE on the
normal Application for Special Consideration form.

4 A plan of work benches, giving details by candidate numbers of the places occupied by the
candidates for each experiment for each session, must be enclosed with the scripts.

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Report on any difficulties experienced by candidates.

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every reasonable
effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the publisher will
be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge International
Examinations Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download at www.cie.org.uk after
the live examination series.

Cambridge International Examinations is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of Cambridge Local
Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.

UCLES 2015 9701/31/CI/O/N/15